Western History 74: What were some of the Important Italian City States?

Between the 9^th and 16^th century the Italian peninsula was dominated by several trade based city controlled by very influential families. The oldest of these city states was Venice which broke away from the Byzantine Empire and set itself up as a Republic (run by the Doge and the Great Council of Venice) in 742.

The City States were dynamic entities that largely functioned as independent unions although many of them were allied with various partners in geo-political leagues of convenience. Trade was a key factor in the success of this system that for great stretches of time was dominated by such notable families as the Borgias, Medicis and Sforzas. One could even argue that the modern economy developed from these states who originated the practice of bookkeeping and accounting.

It was in the milieu of the city states that a great renaissance in the arts would  be realized, a seeding of culture and the resurrection of classical ideas that would spread throughout the continent. Table 14 lists some of the key city states that emerged.

Table 14

Principal Italian City States

City State	Region	Points of Significance
Bologna	Emilia-Romagna (North-Central)	Part of the Lombard League. Expanded rapidly from the 12th century onward. Noteworthy cultural and artistic center.
Florence	Tuscany	Cradle of the Renaissance. Economy built on strong wool industry. Political power controlled by the Medici family – patron to the art of Michelangelo, da Vinci and Botticelli.
Genoa	North-Western Italy.	Maritime Republic. Known for its skilled warriors (crossbowmen) and merchant force. Also important center for Banking. Birthplace of Christopher Columbus.
Milan	Lombardy	Important city during the Renaissance. Famed for its guilds. Politics dominated by the powerful Sforza family.
Naples	Campania (South)	A dynamic city that attracted Pisan and Genoese merchants, Naples was at different times controlled by various outside interests (German and Spanish). It did however play host to artists that included Boccaccio, Petrach and Giotto
Padua	North-Eastern Italy	Famed for its university that at one time Galileo Galilei as a lecturer, Padua has a very stable legislative assembly and was noted as a site center for humanist thinking. The city was later dominated by Venice.
Pisa	Tuscany	Maritime power. Set up colonies a far afield as the Levant. Went into decline after defeat against Genoese in 1264.
Rome	Central-Western Italy (Lazio)	Chief city in the Papal States. A one time leader in the Italian Renaissance but lost some of its clout during the Western Schism (1378-1417) when several claimants vied to head the Papal  See.
Siena	Tuscany	Ancient City. Republic lasted for four centuries until 1551 but the city went into decline following the Italian Wars (1551-1559).
Venice	Veneto	One time Capital for International Finance. It played a key role in launching the Fourth Crusade and the Battle of Lepanto. Dominant maritime power with colonies located throughout the Adriatic Sea Power rested with the Doge (Chief Magistrate) and the Great Council. Home city of Marco Polo.